[The timely diagnosis of postoperative clostridial infection].

Authors report a case of clostridial myonecrosis postcholecystectomy. The causes of the occurrence of this severe, frequently lethal complication are reviewed, as well as the difficulties of an early diagnosis, the only factor able to save the patient. The curative treatment of the detected infection requires the initiation of a series of local and general measures and a permanent cooperation between the surgeon, the specialist in resuscitation and the infectionist.